Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that businesses, including at late-night venues such as nightclubs, clearly outline any accessibility restrictions.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Regulations 2010 apply to new building work and are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare. Part M of the regulations requires reasonable provision for people to gain access to and use a building and its facilities, including nightclubs. Approved Document M (Volume 2 - Buildings other than dwellings) sets out how new building work might meet these requirements in common building situations. For existing buildings used by the public, section 20 of the Equalities Act 2010 places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments, which could include the provision of advance information about access, so that customers with differing needs may use their premises and facilities and nobody is placed at a substantial disadvantage. The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review; Building Regulations can then be updated as needed.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that late-night venues, such as nightclubs, are accessible to wheelchair users.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Regulations 2010 apply to new building work and are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare. Part M of the regulations requires reasonable provision for people to gain access to and use a building and its facilities, including nightclubs. Approved Document M (Volume 2 - Buildings other than dwellings) sets out how new building work might meet these requirements in common building situations. For existing buildings used by the public, section 20 of the Equalities Act 2010 places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments, which could include the provision of advance information about access, so that customers with differing needs may use their premises and facilities and nobody is placed at a substantial disadvantage. The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review; Building Regulations can then be updated as needed.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support councils to tackle industrial scale fly-tips from organised criminal operators.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Enforcement and disruption of industrial-scale waste crime is carried out by the Environment Agency. Through the Waste Crime Action Plan Defra has granted the Environment Agency an additional £45 million for waste crime enforcement over three years. The Environment Agency is strengthening intelligence-led enforcement, investing in drones and satellite technology.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen financial support and working rights for unpaid carers.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Details of the steps being taken to strengthen financial support and employment rights for unpaid carers can be found in the Unpaid Carers Action Plan, published on 14 July 2026.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure Armed Forces personnel who are away on duty are protected from Default Judgements for claims brought by private parking companies.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
It is the responsibility of Service personnel to resolve issues such as car parking judgements before they deploy. If needed, they should seek assistance from a solicitor or support group such as Citizens Advice. If there is no evidence that Service personnel are being treated differently than the rest of the population, then the Armed Forces Covenant, which aims to prevent Service personnel, veterans and their families being disadvantaged by their service, will not apply.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to end avoidable deaths linked to delays in accident and emergency departments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 24 June to Question 11440.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure better safeguards are put in place for service personnel who receive court correspondence while deployed on exercise.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Service personnel are subject to the same court procedures and protections as other court users. Where an individual is deployed on military duties and this affects their ability to receive, respond to, or act upon court correspondence, the court may take relevant circumstances into account when considering case management decisions.
Depending on the nature of the proceedings, safeguards may include the ability to notify the court of deployment commitments, apply for an adjournment or alternative arrangements where appropriate, and provide evidence of military service obligations. Courts consider such requests on a case-by-case basis, balancing the interests of justice, fairness to all parties, and the effective progression of proceedings.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he plans to take to allow independent celebrants to conduct legally recognised weddings.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
On 16 July, the Government published the consultation ‘Tying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Wales’. The Government has taken the initial view that independent officiants should be permitted to conduct legally binding weddings as part of a reformed weddings framework. The consultation seeks views on how this could operate in practice, including the regulation and training requirements that should apply to independent officiants.
The consultation closes on 24 September. The Government will then consider the findings of the consultation carefully before finalising our policy positions. Any finalised reforms would then be brought forward when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to lower the legal fees involved in acquiring a Deed of Variation.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
A deed of variation allows beneficiaries to a deceased persons estate to alter what they are entitled to receive under the terms of a will, or under the rules of intestacy if there is no valid will. It must be agreed and signed by all affected beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries may enter into such agreements for a number of reasons such as, redirecting assets to those who are more vulnerable or in greater need, gifting additional assets to charity or for tax management purposes. A deed of variation will not be relevant for the vast majority of estates.
It is for beneficiaries to decide a deed of variation is appropriate for the administration of the estate in question, and whether they wish to obtain support from a professional in executing it. The cost of legal support in executing a deed of variation is a matter for the parties to agree. The Government has no plans to take any action on this issue.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality of, and customer experience on, rural train services, including those operated by CrossCountry.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the importance of rural rail services in connecting people, supporting economic growth and providing access to opportunities. It remains committed to improving rail services for passengers across the network through investment in rolling stock, improved operational performance, and better customer information and accessibility. As part of this commitment to rural communities, Okehampton Interchange in Devon has recently opened, and a new station at Charfield in South Gloucestershire is due to open within the next two years.
The quality of service currently provided by CrossCountry is not where we want it to be. The Department continues to hold the operator, which is currently in private ownership, to account through the National Rail Contract to improve the passenger experience and service quality performance, supported by additional train capacity. Officials are working with CrossCountry on a business case to introduce additional Voyager trains to the CrossCountry fleet.
Over the next few years, the entire CrossCountry train fleet, for both inter-city and regional routes, is being refurbished. This is a £75 million investment being funded by the Department to deliver a better on-board experience for CrossCountry passengers, including new seats and more luggage space.